Building Insurance

Building insurance covers your home in addition to other fixtures on your property - such as garages, fences, and sheds - against a wide range of events such as fire, storm, and flood damage. Compare building insurance policies, find the perfect cover, and protect yourself today.

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	Details	Features
Home Building Insurance	Covers the cost of rebuilding or repairing your home if disaster strikes. Save 15% when you purchase cover online.	Cover for fire and explosion Cover for storm and rainwater damage Cover for theft and malicious damage Temporary accommodation benefit	Go to site More info
Building Insurance	Receive cover for fire, theft and a range of weather events.	Cover for loss or damage by theft, attempted theft Storm, including lightning, wind, hail and snow cover Cover for burnout of electric motors Optional accidental damage cover	Go to site More info
Home Only	15% online discount. Earn 5,000 Velocity Frequent Flyer Points when purchasing a new eligible policy. T&C’s apply.	Save 15% when purchasing online Up to $20 million legal liability cover 21 day money back guarantee if a claim has not been made Optional extras on offer	Go to site More info
Home Insurance	Save up to 15% when you purchase cover online.	Up to $20 million legal liability cover Cover for fire, explosion and theft Optional cover for accidental damage Optional flood cover	Go to site More info
Building Insurance	15% off for your first year. Promo code: COVER	Cover for emergency accommodation for up to 12 months Automatic safety net cover Lifetime guarnatee on authorised repairs Accidental loss or damage cover	Go to site More info
Building Insurance	15% off for your first year. Promo code: COVER	Sum insured safety net Accidental loss or damage cover Up to $10,000 garden and landscaping cover Emergency accommodation for up to 12 months	Go to site More info
Home Building Insurance	Save up to 10% when you purchase cover online.	Cover for fire, explosion, storm and flood Emergency accommodation benefit Accidental glass breakage, theft and burglary Optional electric motor burnout benefit	Go to site More info

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What does building insurance actually cover?

Whilst contents insurance covers the things you own, building insurance protects your actual house. The policies are designed to cover your residential home, including flats, units, and townhouses. Your home is the most important asset you’ll ever own, so you need to make sure you have adequate cover in place for protection against a range of risks beyond your control.

Whilst no two building insurance policies are the same, there are some basics that you should be covered for.

• What does building insurance cover?
• What isn't covered by building insurance?

What fixtures does building insurance cover?Building insurance covers your residential home, including flats, units and townhouses. These policies also include protection for other structures and fittings on the property such as:

• garages and carports
• sheds
• fences, gates and outdoor walls
• decks, patios, pergolas and verandahs
• outbuildings
• fixed swimming pools and spas
• garden borders and pathways
• driveways

• permanently housed or wired electrical appliances
• permanently fixed outdoor items like solar panels and satellite dishes
• clothes lines
• permanently attached fixtures including wall, ceiling and floor coverings
• boat jetties and pontoons.

What fixtures aren't covered by building insurance?Before you decide on the right policy for you, you’ll need to make sure you’re aware of the fixtures, fittings, events and costs that building insurance generally does not cover. Most policies will not provide cover for loss or damage involving the following:

• your contents
• any new building in the course of construction
• any part of the building which is used for farming, for example a barn or a silo
• temporary or mobile structures such as caravans or houseboats

• inflatable or portable swimming pools and spas

• carpets, rugs, blinds, drapes and curtains
• air conditioning units which are attached within a window
• plants, trees and shrubs
• hotels, motels and guest houses.

• What events does building insurance cover?

  What events does building insurance cover?
  If you're wondering what types of events are covered by building insurance, most building insurance policies cover events including:

  • flood
  • fire
  • storm damage
  • lightning
  • earthquake
  • tsunami
  • theft and burglary

  • accidental glass breakage
  • impact
  • escape of liquid
  • explosion
  • malicious acts and vandalism
  • riot and civil commotion.

  Cover typically includes financial protection for the cost of things like demolition, the removal of debris, rebuilding costs and also temporary accommodation for your family.

• What events aren't covered by building insurance?

  What events aren't covered by building insurance?
  There are also other specific events and costs for which you will not be covered, such as:

  • loss or damage caused by a storm surge or the movement of the sea
  • flood cover will typically not protect you against damage to some things
  • loss or damage caused by erosion, subsidence, landslide or mudslide
  • claims for lightning will not be paid
  • loss or damage caused by power failures or surges
  • accidental breakage of glass to greenhouses or conservatories

  • if your building does not catch on fire but receives heat, ash, soot or smoke damage, this will not be covered
  • damage caused by cigarette burns
  • theft or burglary by you or someone else who lives at the insured address. The same applies to malicious acts and vandalism claims
  • leaks from agricultural pipes.

How do I choose a policy?

It's easy to sometimes get overwhelmed by a policy's product disclosure statement. There are a few things that you should be looking at in a policy to determine if it's really all it's cracked up to be.

• Defined events. Many policies only cover defined events. This usually means that you're covered for things like fire, explosion, storm, earthquake, and vandalism damage. You will not be covered for any events that aren't classified under their events category. Read the PDS in detail and determine if you've got enough cover.
• Accidental damage. Spilt a glass of red wine on your carpet? Accidental damage covers those unforeseen events that can lead to damage to your home and possessions. It is a great safety net for those who may not have savings on hand to cover life's mishaps.
• Sum insured. The sum insured is the maximum amount that your insurance company will pay out in the event that your home is totally destroyed. It will typically cover the costs of rebuilding your home. Ensure that you value your home and contents adequately to prevent underinsurance. For a guide to underinsurance, head here.
• Safety net. Safety net home protection provides a buffer if the cost of rebuilding exceeds your sum insured. It's typically around 25-30% of your sum insured.
• Total replacement. Total replacement cover pays whatever it costs to repair your building. This means that you don't need to worry about any cost shortfalls, making it a great option for avoiding underinsurance. However, it is only available from a few insurers.

Are there any other policies that might suit me better?

Commercial building insurance

If you’ve got a commercial property as opposed to a residential then commercial building insurance might be a better fit. These policies provide cover for your business’ contents, fixtures and fittings against a variety of events that can result in loss or damage.

Strata building insurance

This type of insurance is designed to provide cover for strata title properties and to be taken out by a body corporate or owners corporation. It includes cover against risks like fire, flood, storm and earthquake, as well as loss of rent if property damage forces tenants to leave. Theft, malicious damage, water and oil leaks, broken glass and legal liability are also included in cover.

The fine print: what should I be looking out for?

There are a few things to be aware of when reading your policy's product disclosure statements. Some of these include:

• Termites. Damage from pests such as termites is usually not covered as insurance companies see pests as the homeowner's responsibility. It’s perceived as a preventable damage, rather than an accident. If your property is prone to termites it’s best to become aware of this as soon as possible and treat it as necessary.

• Floods. Read carefully about the policy’s stance on floods. What is considered a flood by an insurance company varies wildly, so read in between the lines to determine what you’re covered for. For our full guide on storm and flood insurance, head here.

• Strata. If you live in strata such as an apartment block, your body corporate will have their own strata insurance that generally provides cover for your building, parking, and other shared areas. In most cases, you will be required to pay strata fees. Strata does not cover you for interior fixings, so most homeowners with a strata-titled property will also take out a contents only policy.

How much cover do I need?

Having the right level of protection in place can save you thousands of dollars in the long run. However, some estimates suggest that as many as 80% of Aussie’s are under-insured. Whilst it may seem appealing to cut costs at first, the risk of not having enough cover in place is not worth it.

The building insurance policy you take out should cover the total replacement cost of your property, including other expenses which may arise such as temporary accommodation. If you’re under-insured, you’ll have to pay the gap between what your policy covers and the replacement cost for your building, which in many cases could be a substantial amount of money.

The building insurance policy you take out should cover the total replacement cost of your property, including other expenses which may arise such as temporary accommodation. If you’re under-insured, you’ll have to pay the gap between what your policy covers and the replacement cost for your building, which in many cases could be a substantial amount of money.

Compare building insurance policies

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Richard Laycock

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Richard Laycock is Finder's insurance editor, and has spent the last five years wrangling insurance product disclosure statements. His musings about insurance have appeared on Money Mag, Yahoo Finance, and Travel Weekly. When he’s not helping people make sense of insurance fine print, he is testing the quality of cocktails in his newfound home of New York. Richard studied Media at Macquarie University and The Missouri School of Journalism and has a Tier 1 Certification in General Advice for Life Insurance.